Salma Hayek Took Off Her Makeup in Front of Us!

Ninety-nine percent of the time, we see celebrities exuding perfection from head to toe: on the red carpet, on big and small screens alike, and on the cover of magazines. Though most of them admit they don't wake up looking this way, it's part of their jobs to hit the hair and makeup chair before major events. Last week at an event to introduce Salma Hayek's new beauty line, Nuance—100-plus hair, skin, makeup, and body products that will be exclusive to CVS/Pharmacy this fall—Hayek looked radiant: Professional yet chic in a sleek black pantsuit, her ombré hair gleamed in the light and her makeup was polished.

After spending time with the lunch guests at each table in the room, she made her way to mine. She asked her publicist, "Is this the last group?" Once she got the "yes," Hayek grabbed a white cloth napkin from the table and a bottle of liquid makeup remover (from her line, natch) and started wiping her face, sweeping off all traces of makeup. "I'm going to take off all of my makeup so you can see and feel my skin," she said. I've always liked Hayek—she's stunning, exotic, funny, and obviously smart—but after watching her take off her face in front of about 20 women, she's quickly risen to the top of my celebrity girl-crush list. Don't get me wrong, the actress looked insanely pretty without even a lick of makeup on, but the confidence she omitted while stripping down her face made her real. "I've never had anything done—not even dermabrasion or Botox," she said, as she pointed out a fine line on her forehead. Better still, Hayek circled the table so that each editor could touch her skin. It was soft, even though she said she hadn't slept in days. Most people admire Hayek for her beauty (among other things), but I now admire her for being down-to-earth and honest—ok, and I want to start using her skin-care products, based on her grandmother's Mexican recipes, ASAP!